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Opera Cake/Story
'Fondness Story' I. First Encounter "Opera Cake, this is the doll I made for you.’’ ’’But he's not at my side now, and he can't talk to you like Vivian and Lilia.’’ ’’Although you gave him back to me, I still hope he can accompany you.’’ ’’However, this doll has no name yet. I've been thinking, what would you call him, Opera Cake?’’ ‘’I also made myself another doll named Tina, who would be as beautiful a child as Opera.’’ ‘’When Tina was born, I wish she could have met Opera Cake.’’ I finished reading the card signed by Souffle, and looked at the exquisite doll in the cardboard box. I couldn't help sighing. If you asked me, how did I know this troublesome guy? It started when I first came here with a troupe of singing and dancing. Before I came with this troupe, I also participated in other troupes. At first, everyone easily accepted me and praised my singing as a sound of nature. But after a long time, everyone who used to be kind started to look at me differently. 　 Indifferent eyes, cold personality, even because I spoke too little words and showed few expressions, they began to criticize my acting skills. I don't have any talent higher than others, I just use their time to do more things I want to do. From the beginning, I knew that I was missing something important. I have no interest except opera, so all I can do is to make the best of what I love. But even though I've played so many roles and been praised by many people, I still feel it's not enough. Therefore, any superfluous emotion is a blasphemy on stage. I want to cherish any opportunity to perform on stage. But the reality is that no matter how hard I try, I will still lose my stage in the end. I don't think it's worth complaining about. So I came to this new city. Because I don’t know how long I will stay here this time, I will cherish every opportunity to perform. This time I will play a princess named Tina. Unlike the other roles I've played before, this princess is actually a twin sharing the same looks. But because her sister showed the same signs as the fierce beast in the legend of this kingdom, she became a nameless existence. The younger sister listened to the demon’s words, designed to kill the parents who knew the truth, imprisoned her elder sister who loved her all her life, and took her identity as heir to the throne. The younger sister, who soon ascended the throne, caused a revolt from the public due to her extravagance. But her elder sister became a witch judged by the people instead of her. Only then did I realize that her younger sister, who had been used by the demon, finally woke up and killed the demon. In the end, she was cursed by the demon after being infected with its blood. With immortality, she will have the eternal loneliness beyond the control of time and become a real witch who is imprisoned by it. This "Sin of Time" isn’t such a rare play. It is said to be the most powerful opera in which the Grand Duke funded for his wife. The reason was that the author of the script was actually the Duchess who was held in the Grand Duke’s palm. That's why this opera will pursue the ultimate beauty from costume props to stage scenes. Everyone in the world says that life is like a play, but I didn’t know why I felt a little truth in this absurd play. This is why I wanted to play the role of the evil witch, who was originally a human being. However, the magnificent stage and the gimmick sponsored by the Grand Duke didn’t know how many people were attracted to the protagonist of the opera. Because of this, I was surrounded by a group of jealous humans in the alley behind the theater. "Get out of the way. I don't want to fight you." "Hmph! With so many of us, what can you do?" Obviously they haven't realized the fact that I'm a Food Soul. But because I accidentally rehearsed the opera in the middle of the night, I was a bit tired, and I didn’t plan to waste time here. Just as I was about to start, a thin figure fell from the top of the alley, and then all the people just now fell to the ground unprepared. "Hmm? It seems like I'm in the wrong place?" II. Goodbye "I didn't expect to meet anyone else here at this time." The man who appeared in front of me was well-dressed, but his seemingly good manner showed a raging smile. "It's a pity that we can't talk more about something this time~" As if foreshadowing something, that person ended up saying this to me, who was still unprepared. "Let’s meet again next time." His overly light movements seemed to have a weird and twisted feeling, and even the sweet whisper he left in my ears made me feel uncomfortable. Then he smiled again before gently jumping on the eaves of the wall and soon disappeared. I wouldn't take this frivolous joke to heart, but there was a slight pain in my neck. There is a wonderful, golden pattern similar to the shape of a treble clef on my neck, and just like flowing water, there is a feeling of flow without spread. Although it won’t have any impact on my daily life, in order to prevent others from paying too much attention to it, I will cover it with bandages on weekdays and only remove it when I play an opera. It was only a small tingling, but I didn’t know why I was suffocating this time. Is it because the rehearsal took too long? After that, I occasionally get troubled by some people in the theater, but my life was quite peaceful. Unfortunately, they always came one after another. Within a few days, the theater welcomed the visit of the Duke and the Duchess. I've heard that the Grand Duchess has always loved opera, but she rarely goes out. However, the Duchess seems to be very interested in this opera that was adapted from her own work. "Once again, I dreamed of you, separated from the cycle of life and death, because you were not imprisoned in a tower, And me in a garden full of butterflies sipping afternoon tea with you In the dream, we laugh and chase, In the dream, I caught the butterfly and you..." When I finished singing about Princess Tina's final chant after becoming an immortal witch, I saw an elderly man sitting in the audience and a blond woman next to him in a blue dress. It’s not hard to imagine that this is our distinguished guests of the theater-- the Grand Duke and his wife. But what I really care about was not the noble-dressed aristocracy in gorgeous clothes, but the one who stood behind the Duchess and looked at me with great enthusiasm. And his appearance was exactly the same as the man I met in the alley two nights ago.　　 Strangely enough, when I met his eyes, his eyes avoided me. Shouldn't this be the same person? I was so skeptical. At that time, because of the man's eyes and his dangerous but cruel smile, it was difficult for people to immediately connect him with the person standing in front of me. Coincidentally, if they’re not the same person, then only twins can explain it. Don’t dwell on it, my mind told me. As soon as the rehearsal came to an end, the head of the theater beckoned me over with a wave. Hesitating for a moment, looking at the head of the theater with some embarrassment, I still went to greet the Grand Duke. "Your Grace, this is the leading actor of this opera-- Opera Cake." "I didn't feel very relieved when you told me that you were new. Now it seems that I was worrying too much." I didn’t know why, but there was always a feeling of disgust in this human’s gaze. "Why don't you come to my mansion and perform for me later?" "No, thank you for your kindness. " The unclear feeling of disgust just now became stronger. "I'll go have a rest, then." "Don’t be angry, my Duke. Opera is still a newcomer and doesn't understand the rules. In that way, I will advise him afterwards." Listening to the leader's flattery to the Grand Duke, I couldn’t help speeding up. At this time, I just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Why? The world is so big, but there is no stage for freedom. III. Acquaintance Night is the best time for me to indulge in opera. Without those childish distractions and jealous remarks, the whole world has become peaceful. As I chanted an aria, a melodious sound suddenly came from the theater window. This warm melody is accompanied by notes like blue ice, carrying the magic of healing the heart. I pushed aside the half-open window and looked around. As if he noticed my movements, the young man stopped playing the violin and smiled at me. "Lucky, I was wondering if my performance would attract your attention." "And you are?" "Ah~ sorry, I'm not a strange person. My name is Blue Cheese. I'm a member of the Fantasy Musical troupe. I heard your singing when I passing by here before, so I thought I would be able to see you like this." "My singing?" ’’Yes, your singing is very special. Don’t you think so?" I never felt anything special about my voice, but someone once praised my voice for being immersive. It's just that I always treat these words as a form of politeness. "Why are you covering your neck?" After Blue Cheese had finished saying this, I realized that my hand was subconsciously covering the golden pattern. "You don't have to be too nervous. I just want to ask if you would like to join our Fantasy Musical troupe?" "...I..." The man's words were not false, nor did he feel any malice from the music just now. I haven't heard of the name, Fantasy Musical troupe, because it's a traveling band with uncertain whereabouts and the identity of all its members is a mystery. So I hesitated about the person who claimed to be part of the Fantasy Musical troupe at the first meeting. "Don't reply to me so quickly. We will stay here for another month, then you can give me an answer." One month? It was exactly at the end of the show. "By the way, can you tell me your name?" "Opera Cake." "Well, it's a name that matches your singing very well." "Thank you." I don't know if he was simple, but this person gave me a wonderful, natural feeling. Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the encounter with that person that night. If the Blue Cheese in front of me is a pure existence of nature, then that person is probably a black hole that can make the world weightless and devours everything. It is the endless abyss of desire that people can't forget with a smile. After that day, I noticed that my world started to change. The man who had stood behind the Duchess before appeared every day in the corner of the Opera House and stared at me silently. He didn't talk to me or do anything strange, but he just kept watching me from a distance. But even that made me feel uncomfortable. "I won’t answer the Duke's request. Please don't follow me all the time. " I still gave him an ultimatum. "No, no." The man held on to his words like he was afraid of my anger. "I didn't come here because of the Grand Duke." Listening to the flicker of words, let alone endless desire, in my eyes, he even seemed to be very weak in breath. "So, is there anything else?" "I, my name is Souffle, and that, I like you, your opera. I like beautiful things. " "So you just want to hear me sing opera?" "Well, Lilia and Vivian said that they also wanted to see you and listen to your opera. " He held the doll in his hands and looked at me with expectant eyes, as if waiting for my answer. Soon, he bowed his head as if he had made a mistake. "Why?" I was suddenly curious. I had never thought about it before I met Blue Cheese. "Because you said the same thing as Lilia." "Lilia?" Uh? Did he mean I said the same thing as the doll? "If you can protect important people, even if you lose everything, it doesn't matter." Souffle whispered what the twin sister in the script said to her sister when she was a princess. "What's the matter with this sentence?" "That's what Lilia told me a long time ago. Your expression on the stage was very similar to her’s at that time." To others, it was just a show, but to him, it became something real. There was a rare look of joy on Souffle’s face, but I didn't know what it meant to him. Although they have the same face, they are really two different people. Otherwise, I can't imagine someone hiding themselves and show such realistic acting skills. "Aren't you angry?" "Just like my opera, I have no reason to be angry." "That’s great. Can I come to see you all the time?" "Don't be as frequent as you are now. You can sit in the audience." "Thank you. " I never thought I would be thanked so easily. I never thought anyone would like my opera so much. Later, Souffle and I agreed that he would sit in the audience and watch my performance when the theater company was performing other plays in the theater. After the show, he would come to the backstage lounge and give me the doll he made by hand. Every doll he made was a character from the plays I performed, beautiful and exquisite, but some of them couldn't connect to me. But even so, he always felt that it wasn’t good enough. He always said that he would give me a more beautiful doll. Is this what he sees in me? Looking at the doll in front of the dressing mirror, I somehow saw the cruel smile in the mirror again. Was this just an illusion? Why did I think of this man again? IV. Leave In addition to Souffle, I also occasionally visit Blue Cheese off-stage. It's just that Blue Cheese doesn't stay as long as Souffle, and he will leave after the show ends. Days passed by. Soon it was time for the "Sin of Time" performance. Those who have been looking for trouble with me must have been tired, and they have become more and more peaceful these days. Because it was the first day of the performance, I came to the theater early and started preparing. But I didn't expect that Princess Tina's dress was shredded several times by someone in the dressing room. I thought those people had understood that they were doing work deemed useless, but it seems they thought highly of themselves. Soon, everyone in the theater discovered it. But the dress for the performance was tailored by the Grand Duke from good fabric and decorations. This price naturally doesn't need to be said. If the Duke knew about this, everyone in the theater might be punished for it. For a moment, the whole theater was in a panic. "That...what happened?" Souffle, who suddenly appeared at the door of the dressing room, asked timidly. "Why are you here?" "It's almost time for the show. But I always felt uneasy, so I wanted to have a look. Did something happen?" Souffle said, slowly lowering his head. The doll held tightly by him, as if it was hurt by his strangulation, broke away from his arms, floated to his shoulder, and patted his head gently with its hand. "Well, something did happen. I didn't know who cut the dress that the Duke gave us, and now the theater is looking for someone who can restore the dress." My voice was unexpectedly calm. "Then, can I try?" Souffle didn't look up, but his dolls, Lilia and Vivian, seemed to be very confident and wanted me to believe what he said. "Although, I can't guarantee that it will be completely repaired." "Well, let’s try then." When he heard this, Souffle raised his head like a child who got affirmation. However, the progress didn’t go as smoothly as expected. Just as Souffle wanted to get the dress up for repair, the person in the theater who always liked to bother me suddenly snatched the dress from him and pushed him away. "Who are you! Who gave you permission to touch our troupe's stuff!?" Souffle was unprepared and was pushed to the ground at once. "Are you okay?" He is usually very careful and self-abased, but he might be afraid of this kind of treatment. Souffle didn’t respond to me, but his body was shaking. But I soon realized something was wrong. He wasn't shaking, he was laughing. "What's the matter with you?" "I didn't expect that you actually cared about this coward?" The suffocating twist radiated from Souffle, and then the familiar and cruel smile appeared before my eyes. It turned out that it was really a person... I said, ‘’how could there be such a coincidence?’’ But I soon realized that I was wrong. That ‘’Souffle’’ is also real. They were two different individuals. "Who are you?" "You really like to ask such meaningless questions. Of course I'm Souffle, my dear Opera~" Souffle quickly stood up and snatched back the dress from the man's hand. Then the man suddenly floated, in a state of inexplicable weightlessness. "If you don't want to die, don't resist. That's the only thing the coward is good at." ’’Stop it..." I just wanted to stop him, but Souffle made a hissing gesture at me. "Rest assured, I won't kill him. After all, he and I both want to see you stand on this stage." "Now to everyone here listening, I'm the housekeeper of the Duchess. Now I'm here to deal with this matter for you. If you don't want to die, follow my instructions. Do you understand?" “You...” “Look, isn’t this all solved?~” When Souffle finished this sentence, the suffocation suddenly disappeared. Even those who were still weightless fell to the ground all at once. "Then I'll let him come back for the time being." "Opera...what's the matter with you?" "Nothing, are you okay?" "Um, I’m alright." Souffle was unaware of his change, but why does he become like this? I couldn’t get the answer. However, thanks to the help of Souffle, the dress was perfectly restored from the surface. The performance of "Sin of Time" also ended very smoothly. It's just that the matter of the performance dress made the entire troupe suspicious, but I’m familiar with this atmosphere. After the performance, I didn't explain too much to the head of the theater, so I left the theater group. Next, I promised a reply to Blue Cheese. I arrived at the place we agreed upon, and Blue Cheese seemed to have been waiting for a long time. "Are you ready?" "Um, is this the Fantasy Musical troupe?" "It's just a temporary stop." "Is that so? Before you came to see me, I didn't even think about whether the Fantasy Musical troupe really existed." "Isn't that right in front of you now?’’ "Also, I have been pursuing the stage of freedom for a long time. I want to find out what's missing in my opera... " ‘’If it's the stage of freedom, I think we can achieve your wish." A voice suddenly broke in. "Regiment, regiment commander!" Blue Cheese looked a little alarmed for a while. "What are you hesitating for?~ Hurry up and call everyone to welcome the new member!" V. Opera Cake After deciding to join the Fantasy Musical troupe, Opera Cake asked the head of the troupe to give him some more time. Although he will leave the theater company, he hopes to continue to play the "Sin of Time" in the next few days. The head of the troupe readily agreed, thinking that a responsible actor should perform until the end of the show. In the few days of the performance, Souffle went to the theater to watch Opera Cake every day. Because of the last dress incident, many people were a little afraid of this seemingly weak Souffle. Coupled with the Duchess's backing behind Souffle, even those who always looked for fault in Opera Cake became furious. A long time ago, there was a rumor in this country. The Grand Duke relied on his wife's means of communication to seize power among so many nobles. The Grand Duke’s wife is called Lilia, and she is also called the "Bloodthirsty Butterfly" among the nobles. According to some nobles, the lady would extort someone else's money with secrets or even commit crimes that no one else would like to know. If the other party doesn’t make a deal with her, then their information is likely to be sold to others by her, including their opponents. In simpler terms, this is a terrible woman who, like a vampire, depends on the despair of others to suck in a lot of money. Therefore, in a sense, the Duchess is more invincible than the Grand Duke. It's an unspoken rule in a troupe that often deals with aristocrats. Thanks to this, Opera Cake had a rare day of purity. "Opera, look, this is my new doll." Opera Cake looked at the doll that Souffle placed in his hand. It was exactly what he usually looked like. "Weren’t you going with an opera character this time?" "Well, after thinking about it, Opera Cake is really the best-looking one. So, I think his name should also be Opera Cake." "My name?" "Well, Lilia is also an important friend of mine, so I wanted Opera to have... " "Souffle, I'm leaving tomorrow." "Huh, tomorrow? Why is Opera Cake leaving?" Souffle immediately panicked and didn't know what to do. "Is it because I did something wrong? Or do you think this doll isn’t good-looking?" "No, I found the place I should go to." "Should I leave?" "Well, I want to find my stage, so you're not wrong." Souffle didn't talk anymore, but he didn't lower his head. He just looked at Opera Cake, thinking that he could make this friend, who had a hard time meeting him, change his mind. Then he read his embarrassment from Opera’s eyes. Souffle has been watching Opera Cake play different roles on the stage. Even if Opera Cake doesn't have much fluctuation, he could probably understand Opera’s mind. This is probably a delicate and sensitive skill that he has learned to accompany the threatening Duchess. If this is the case, then there is no way to keep it. Souffle thought so, because he didn't want to embarrass Opera Cake. Yet, from the beginning, he was just a fan of his, just watching him become more and more dazzling from afar. Everything just returned to the starting point. He smiled hard, but his eyes were strained. "I'm glad that you can go wherever you want to go." Opera Cake didn’t know what to say to him, and he handed back the doll that Souffle just gave to him. "You'd better take this doll." "Huh?" "Call her Tina in the future, that's the name of the character I played when you first saw me." Souffle looked at Opera Cake in silence and nodded. For him, the name also records the memories of his first love of opera from Opera Cake. The next day, Opera Cake finished his last performance and asked for leave from the head of the theater. But that day, Souffle didn’t show up. Instead, he placed a package with a doll in Opera’s place. "If I hadn't seen it, he would have cried again. " Opera Cake just sighed helplessly when he returned to get the script he almost forgot, and then left the theater. In the quiet lounge, nothing was left except for Opera Cake’s empty table.Category:Food Soul Story